php - How to Serialize complex entities in symfony2 -

i want serialize vehicle entity has multiple entities associated it.

/**  * vehicle  *  * @orm\table(name="vehicle")  * @orm\entity(repositoryclass="mybundle\entity\repository\vehiclerepository")  * @gedmo\softdeleteable(fieldname="deletedat", timeaware=false)  */ class vehicle {         public function __construct(){             $this->car = new arraycollection();             $this->bus = new arraycollection();             $this->truc = new arraycollection();         }     //....     } 

i have tried in controller

$serializer = $this->container->get('serializer'); $reports = $serializer->serialize($vehicle, 'json'); print_r( $reports);exit; return new response($reports);  

it gives me error

warning: invalid argument supplied foreach()

as new symfony, appreciated.

i had exact same thing @ work few weeks ago when writing data backup/restore script.

in end used jmsserializerbundle awesome.

you can specify output type, , also, importantly depth settings, avoid recursive nesting issues when dealing relationships.

usage straight forward, you'll need add depth annotations in entities , tell serializer use them follows:

entity

/**  * @maxdepth(2)  * @var \doctrine\common\collections\arraycollection  */ private $tags; 

controller

$this->serializer = $this->getcontainer()->get( 'jms_serializer' );  $output = $this->serializer->serialize( $entities, 'json', serializationcontext::create()->enablemaxdepthchecks() ) 

you can specify output type. in case used json constructing data file, can output standard array.

hope helps.